Samuel L. Jackson

One of the busiest performers in Hollywood, Samuel L. Jackson's prolific list of credits reflected a career born out of turbulent life experiences and shaped by theater and cinema, ultimately making h...
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Marvel movie bosses have launched legal action against Google executives in a bid to prevent a possible leak of their highly-anticipated Avengers movie sequel, six months before its scheduled release.
The star-studded superhero film, starring Robert Downey, Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and Scarlett Johansson, isn't expected to hit movie theatres until May (15), but a file reportedly containing the Avengers: Age of Ultron film has allegedly been found on a Google mail user's Drive storage account, according to EntLawDigest.com.
Chiefs at Marvel's parent firm, the Walt Disney Company, alerted Google heads to the issue on 22 October (14) and urged them to "act expeditiously to remove or disable access to the infringing materials", and last week (04Nov14), they lodged papers in a California federal court, asking a judge to subpoena Google experts to hand over all information about the user, named as John Gazelle, to help them track down the pirate suspect and locate him via his Internet Protocol addresses.
It is not known whether Google bosses heeded the initial request to take down the file supposedly containing the film.
Marvel bosses were previously stung by movie hackers when an unfinished copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine surfaced online almost a month before its theatrical release in 2009.
The Avengers news emerges four months after Lionsgate studio executives sued those responsible for illegally leaking a DVD-quality version of Sylvester Stallone's action movie The Expendables 3, three weeks ahead of the blockbuster's release.

Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino is planning to retire after making his 10th movie.
The Django Unchained director, 51, is gearing up to begin shooting his eighth project, The Hateful Eight, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell and Channing Tatum, but he is already looking forward to stepping back from Hollywood.
He tells Deadline.com, "I don't believe you should stay onstage until people are begging you to get off. I like the idea of leaving them wanting a bit more. "I do think directing is a young man's game, and I like the idea of an umbilical cord connection from my first to my last movie. I'm not trying to ridicule anyone who thinks differently, but I want to go out while I'm still hard... I like that I will leave a 10-film filmography, and so I've got two more to go after this. "It's not etched in stone, but that is the plan. If I get to the 10th, do a good job and don't screw it up, well that sounds like a good way to end the old career. If, later on, I come across a good movie, I won't not do it just because I said I wouldn't. But 10 and done, leaving them wanting more - that sounds right."
Production on The Hateful Eight is due to begin in Colorado in January (15).

Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has rounded out the cast of his forthcoming western The Hateful Eight by adding Channing Tatum and Demian Bichir to the movie's line-up. The actors join Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Bruce Dern, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth and Jennifer Jason Leigh in the project, about a pair of bounty hunters tasked with transporting prisoners through post-Civil War Wyoming.
Further details about the roles given to Magic Mike star Tatum and Oscar nominee Bichir were unavailable as WENN went to press.
Production on The Hateful Eight is due to begin in Colorado in January (15).

Actor Mark Strong has dismissed reports suggesting he will be playing the villain in the next James Bond movie, insisting a hiking vacation he took with old pal Daniel Craig was behind the latest casting rumours. The two Brits set off to walk across the Atlas Mountains in Africa recently and when a photograph of the friends hit the Internet, 007 casting speculation quickly followed.
Strong tells WENN, "Daniel is a very good friend of mine. We've known each other for years and he's a godfather to my eldest child. The reason these rumours came about is because recently we went on a walking tour together in the Atlas Mountains. We took some time off to have some friend time; we hadn't seen each other for ages. Busy schedules mean you can't see each other and don't see your mates for a long time. And we went walking together.
"Someone took a picture and everybody's come to the conclusion I must be the new bad guy in the new Bond movie!"
Strong admits he'd love to be considered for the role because Bond villains are almost as iconic as the superspy, but he feels he might be better suited to playing one of 007's sidekicks after transitioning from playing bad guys to spies on the big screen.
The Kick-Ass 2 star explains, "For some reason I played bad guys for a while, for a few years. I don't quite know what's happened but now it's spies!
"I was a spy in Body of Lies, a film I did with Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio; he was the head of the Jordanian secret service. In Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy I was a spy. In The Imitation Game, that's coming out with Benedict Cumberbatch, I'm a spy. Secret Service that I'm doing with Michael Caine, Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Firth, I'm another spy. I mean, it's unbelievable. I don't know quite what's happening but there's a whole spy thing going on."

Comedian Eddie Murphy has been tapped to replace Samuel L. Jackson in an upcoming drama called Cook. The Pulp Fiction star was originally slated for the lead role, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, and now the veteran funnyman has agreed to take his place, according to Empire.
Cook will centre around Murphy's character, who is hired by a dying man to cook meals for his girlfriend and daughter after he passes away.

Actor Seth Rogen turned on the TV executive who cancelled his cult TV series Freaks And Geeks after coming face to face with him at the weekend (11Oct14).
The U.S. show, which launched the careers of Rogen, James Franco, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini and Busy Philipps, was taken off the air 14 years ago, but Rogen still holds a grudge against Garth Ancier, the NBC boss who shut down the series. And on Saturday, he got the chance to vent his frustration. Rogen took to Twitter on Sunday (12Oct14) and wrote:
"Last night I was in a room with the dude who cancelled Freaks and Geeks. And yes, I did totally call him out on it." And during an interview with the Huffington Post on Tuesday (14Oct14), Rogen detailed the meeting and added, "I was at Saturday Night Live watching backstage... and I overheard someone say the name of the guy who cancelled Freaks and Geeks. I know his name, obviously, because we've talked about how stupid he was for the last 15 years." When asked if he received an apology from the executive, Rogen replied, "No. He was like, 'You know, I kept telling (show creator) Judd (Apatow), give them a victory, give them a victory', and I was like, 'The whole show was about how, in high school, you always lose all the time and that's it!' He went to a private school and was very rich as a child.'" Ancier gave his side of the story on his Facebook page shortly after catching up with Rogen, and wrote, "In the writers room at SNL tonight, still taking some mild abuse for cancelling Freaks and Geeks 14 years ago... once again, Judd Apatow and cast, sorry!"
After Rogen went public with their confrontation, Ancier added, "I absolutely hated canceling this particular show. It was clear from the very beginning that Freaks and Geeks had great writing from Judd and Paul Feig, and a tremendous cast. This was an awful decision that has haunted me forever. "For what it is worth, I have watched all of the episodes over and over again on Netflix, and asked myself what I could have done better to save it. "To be honest, I thought we had a nice conversation that evening. I have a strong feeling that the tweet was on behalf of Freaks and Geeks fans. After all, he and his co-stars (James Franco, etc.) have all become movie stars, and had the show continued..."

Samuel L. Jackson and Beyonce are among the stars who have paid tribute to legendary Bond villain Geoffrey Holder following his death on Sunday (05Oct14). The dancer/actor, who passed away aged 84 after a battle with pneumonia, was best known for playing villainous voodoo henchman Baron Samedi opposite Sir Roger Moore's 007 in 1973 Bond move Live and Let Die.
His passing has sparked an outpouring of grief in the entertainment industry, with stars including Jackson offering tributes.
The Pulp Fiction legend posted a picture of himself with Holder on his Twitter.com page, adding, "I brush up against fame all the time, but encountering greatness is Rare! RIP Mr Holder!!"
Music superstar Beyonce uploaded a black and white portrait of Holder to her website with the caption, "Geoffrey Holder was a man with as much talent as he had charisma. May he rest in absolute peace. - B."
Oscar winner Marlee Matlin adds, "RIP Geoffrey Holder - multi-talented Broadway star & true gentleman", while director Edgar Wright remembers him as one of the best Bond villains, adding with a reference to the closing scene of Live and Let Die, "I would like to think that Geoffrey Holder is not dead but sitting on the back of a train laughing maniacally into camera. RIP Baron Samedi."

Sir Paul McCartney is set to sing on a Christmas charity single in a fundraising stunt organised by Samuel L Jackson, according to a U.K. report. The former Beatles star will front the song Jackson is putting together to raise money for testicular and prostate cancer charity One of the Boys, reports The Sun newspaper.
A number of musicians and other stars including Jennifer Hudson will loan their vocals to the cover of A Great Big World's hit Say Something.
Nicole Scherzinger and Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams joined Jackson at London's Abbey Road studios for a star-studded karaoke party in support of the charity on Thursday (25Sep14).
British model Daisy Lowe posted a video on Instagram.com of the Pulp Fiction star singing Show Me Love by Robin S.

Samuel L. Jackson is hoping to release a star-studded charity record this Christmas (14). The Pulp Fiction star is rounding up his celebrity friends and asking them to join him on a single to raise money for testicular and prostate cancer charity One For The Boys.
However, Jackson insists he won't be singing on the record, telling British newspaper The Sun, "I don't think my singing will ever sell anything and my rapping is even worse! Having me on the song won't help at all. We have started approaching people and I've called in a couple of favours."
Jackson hopes to record the single at London's iconic Abbey Road studios, known for hosting English rock band The Beatles.

Hollywood actors Clive Owen, Samuel L. Jackson, Damian Lewis and Sean Bean were among the famous faces who became stockbrokers for the day on Thursday (11Sep14) for a Transatlantic 9/11 charity event. A whole host of actors, musicians, royals, sports stars, and celebrities joined in Cantor Fitzgerald's and BGC Partners' annual Charity Day, which commemorates the victims of America's 2001 terrorist attacks by raising money for good causes.
The event takes place in London and New York City, and actors including Owen, Bean and Lewis were among those who manned the phones on the U.K. leg along with Downton Abbey star Jim Carter and funnyman Stephen Fry.
Others taking part included British royal Princess Beatrice, tennis legend Boris Becker, girl group All Saints, and model David Gandy, while actor Steve Buscemi and Pamela Anderson turned out for the Big Apple event.
Jackson tweeted about the event, which took place 13 years after the devastating U.S. terrorist attacks, writing, "Up early headed to @BGCCharityDay reppin' @One4theBoys (charity) Don't forget to take a min to remember those who died on Nine Eleven!! (sic)."

First affiliation with playwright August Wilson, Seattle Repertory Theatre production of "Fences"

Received star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (June 16)

First met Spike Lee backstage one night after a performance of "A Soldier's Play"

Played title role in "Shaft," a loose remake of the 1971 classic directed by Gordon Parks and starring Richard Roundtree

Co-starred as Doyle Gipson, an alcoholic saleman in "Changing Lanes"

Cast as a Marine Colonel accused of using excessive force in "Rules of Engagement"

Starred as an FBI agent in the summer thriller "Snakes on a Plane"

Summary

One of the busiest performers in Hollywood, Samuel L. Jackson's prolific list of credits reflected a career born out of turbulent life experiences and shaped by theater and cinema, ultimately making him one of America's leading actors. An active participant in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, Jackson redirected much of his energies into his stagecraft as a co-founder of the Just-Us Theatre, and later, as a member of New York's famed Negro Ensemble Company for more than a decade. Television guest spots and bit parts in low-budget movies eventually gave way to standout performances as an ensemble player in such seminal films as "Do the Right Thing" (1989), "Jurassic Park" (1993) and "Pulp Fiction" (1994). Suddenly one of the hottest leads in Hollywood, Jackson was appearing in an average of five films a year, including Tarantino's "Jackie Brown" (1997) and M. Night Shyamalan's "Unbreakable" (2000). Equally at home in high art projects as well as unapologetic schlock, Jackson often enjoyed himself in campy efforts like the outlandish thriller "Snakes on a Plane" (2006). After setting things up with the first of several cameos in the Marvel Studios adventure, "Iron Man" (2008), Jackson led a team of volatile superheroes in the summer blockbuster "The Avengers" (2012). While Jackson's intense demeanor and pitch perfect ear for street dialogue could effortlessly convey a terrifying menace, his impressive skills with comedy and traditional drama allowed him to shine in a virtually unlimited range of material.